The Stolen Twin

by Michele PW (Pariza Wacek)

  “You what? You mean you didn’t yet? And why the fuck would he give you a wrong last name?”

  “I don’t know. I asked him that last night and he claimed he never did. I had classes this morning. I was going to straighten all this out this afternoon.”

  Brandi stood up so fast she knocked her chair over backwards. “You’re going now. And I’m going with you.”

  I got to my feet more slowly. “Gee, Brandi. I’m almost touched by how much you don’t care.”

  Brandi made a face at me. “Don’t give me that shit now. This is way out of control. If you’re not going to fix it, then I will. Sorry I wasn’t PC enough for you yesterday.”

  Tammy, Jamie and Bridget now watched this exchange, eyes open, mouths closed. Enough gossip to last them for a good couple of weeks. “Catch you guys later.” Brandi snatched up her tray and headed toward the assembly line clean-up.

  I tried to smile, but it felt pretty deflated. “Sorry for this,” I said lamely. “I’ll see you later.”

  They nodded, eyes glittering with a cold sort of excitement.

  Brandi was waiting for me at the door. “Let’s get this over with.”

  “You don’t have to go with me,” I said, amazed at how bitter I sounded. “You made it clear yesterday how much you don’t want to deal with this. I’m a big girl. I can take care of it all by myself.”

  “Don’t be an idiot. For God’s sake, Kit, you know me.” She snatched my arm and started propelling me toward the front doors. “The reason we get along so well is because I don’t have to watch myself and you don’t get so offended. You know I care about you. I said the things I said because it suddenly sunk in that this guy wasn’t simply an asshole, but an unstable, possibly violent, possibly dangerous asshole. And there isn’t a whole lot I can do about it. I’m not even sure there’s a whole lot you can do about it. And that makes me mad. So, let’s go and at least give me the illusion we have some control here.”

  We reached the front door. Brandi dropped my arm to jam hers into her coat. “We clear?” Emotion had added color to her face, a brightness to her eyes. At that moment, she looked like Joan of Arc reborn.

  I put my coat on as well. I knew a backhanded apology when I heard one. “Completely.”

  ***

  I swore I would never again tempt the fates by asking if things could get any worse.

  Needless to say, changing David’s last name on the complaint forms did nothing to improve my case. Not to mention my credibility.

  “You had the wrong last name?” Detective Jenkins asked, bushy brown eyebrows crawling up his forehead like fuzzy caterpillars.

  I tried to explain, but even to my own ears I sounded lame.

  He nodded a few times, made a couple of notes in the file, and smiled dismissively. At least he didn’t ask me about my grades again.

  Unfortunately, Brandi wasn’t much of an ally. Despite his obvious admiration of her well-endowed breasts, I think he missed talking about the Rose Bowl.

  Not wanting to repeat that experience at the university, I avoided Eileen, registering my complaint with a woman my age, probably some student fulfilling a work/study program. She snapped her gum during the entire process, but didn’t question my story. Usually I couldn’t stand people who snapped their gum, but this girl I loved.

  Afterwards, Brandi and I went to the store so I could stock up on flu and cold remedies; then we went home. I needed to buckle down and get some studying done. But before I did that, I thought I had better check my email. I hadn’t done that for awhile either.

  Staring at my inbox, I now remembered why it had been awhile. I had messages from David waiting for me. Great.

  However, a quick scan revealed something very interesting. David had sent me two emails. The one on Friday was from his Yahoo account. The one he sent me yesterday after my visit was from his university account, which of course listed his correct name.

  Hah! Finally some proof. Why else would he have set up a Yahoo account except to hide his true last name?

  The one on Friday read: “I understand you need your space, but please remember how much I care about you. I think you may be The One.” One what? One to run up hills with? One to lie about one’s last name with? Oh, please.

  Yesterday’s was more to the point. “Don’t come here with HIM again.” Well, he didn’t have to worry about that, since I didn’t plan on returning to his apartment ever again.

  Hello, girls. Mind if I join you?

  David with his tray, smiling like the executioner before lowering his axe.

  God, why couldn’t he leave me alone? Why did he refuse to listen to what I kept telling him? Did I have to literally whack him on the head before he figured it out? Or is this how he got his rocks off, by deliberately misunderstanding me? Now that I was involved in this mess, would I ever be free of him?

  Actually, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I had better take a hard look at my own contribution to this situation. What the hell was I thinking about when I started this relationship? And why did it take me so damn long to figure out David was bad news? I had plenty of warnings, both from that stranger and from David himself. That evil glint in his eyes the night of the party – monster eyes. I should have run like hell right then.

  The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn’t know who I was angrier at – him or me. Nobody can take advantage of you without your permission, one of my mother’s favorite Ann Landers’ quotes. She was right. I let him in, I ignored the warning signs, and now I had to pay the price. Stupid me.

  Well, I could sit here all night berating myself, or I could try to figure out what to do about it. I started by printing out both emails to add to my paper trail. Disgusting task. I could barely touch the paper. Then I scrolled through the rest of my emails, finding nothing of interest until the last one.

  It had no return address. I almost didn’t read it, sure it was another one from David. But no such luck.

  Kit Cat.

  Two dangers for two little girls. But one is gone.

  Kit Cat.

  Two dangers for one new little girl. Soon that girl will be gone.

  Kit Cat.

  Two dangers for one new little girl. How long will it take for that girl to be gone?

  Kit Cat.

  Take a closer look at that, because the truth will set you free.

  Oh, God. I started to cough, my lungs rattling painfully. This was getting weirder and more frightening by the moment, and I still didn’t have the faintest idea of what was going on.

  It’s the only way you can set yourself free.

  Hands shaking, I printed that email as well, adding it to my growing pile. What truth? Setting myself free from what? David? Why would they be related?

  The innocent depend on you. You must save the innocent, because by saving the innocent you save yourself.

  What innocent? What little girl? Were they one and the same? And what on earth did this have to do with me?

  It’s the only way you can set yourself free.

  Suddenly, almost violently, I found myself hitting reply and pounding out a message.

  “Enough with the riddles already. What’s going on? What are you trying to tell me? What truth? What girl? This whole mystery thing is getting real old, real fast. Call or email me or something. Just explain yourself.”

  There. Maybe that would result in some sort of explanation. I could only hope.

  I sat back and immediately found myself smothered by the soft fuzzy blanket of exhaustion. I didn’t think I had the strength to even pick up a book, much less absorb the information in it. All I wanted to do was fall into bed and into a dreamless sleep – no churches, no graveyards. Tomorrow would come soon enough. Probably much sooner than I wanted.

  Chapter 22

  For better or worse, our apartment n
ow resembled a maximum-security complex.

  Munching on a bagel with cream cheese, I contemplated the barricaded window in the kitchen. “They did a good job.”

  Brandi leaned against the counter, alternating between sipping coffee and filing her perfectly shaped nails. “Something needed to be done.”

  “I suppose our security deposit is toast now.” I studied the strips of plywood now nailed to the window.

  Brandi snorted. “Yeah, like that keeps you up at night.”

  Jezzy strolled into the kitchen, leaping into the chair next to mine. “Guess I hadn’t thought of it quite in those terms.”

  Brandi examined the nail on her left index finger. “Why aren’t I surprised?”

  Last night, she had brought in three guys to secure the apartment. Because I had already taken a large dose of Nyquil on top of being exhausted, the event was a bit fuzzy in my mind. What stood out most was my incredible relief after they finished. I slipped easily into sleep for the first time since this whole nightmare began.

  Unfortunately, one decent night of sleep hadn’t made that much of a difference. I was still tired and blurry, my chest was tight and sore and I had hacked up more mucus than usual. I should just go back to bed.

  Martha stuck her head through the kitchen door, resembling a twisted jack-in-the-box. “He’s still out there,” she announced.

  The food in my stomach became a hard lump. I gazed sadly at my half-eaten bagel. “Thank you for the update.” Not to mention thanks for ruining my appetite. So much for getting even a bagel down.

  “You said he was going to stop.”

  I pushed my chair back from the table. “He is, Martha. It’s just taking a bit longer than I expected. The cops should be calling you for a statement any day now.”

  “How’d you expect me to study?”

  I dumped my plate in the sink, then turned to face her. She looked worn out. Black circles stained the delicate skin under her eyes and her hair seemed oilier than usual. A pang of guilt hit me. Great. Just what I needed, another emotion added to the mix – guilt for the stress this situation was causing my roommates. God was I sick and tired of this.

  “I don’t, Martha.” I folded my arms across my chest. “To be perfectly honest, I don’t expect you to do a damn thing, except tell the cops what you’ve seen. Believe it or not, I’m doing everything in my power to make this situation go away. I’ll even lay odds that I’m more stressed about it than you are, although you may have trouble believing that. And, to answer another one of your burning questions, I am not trying to keep you from your precious studying. Nothing would make me happier than to have you able to study until your brain leaked out your ears. Because then at least, you’d be leaving me alone.”

  Martha gaped at me. With every word that dropped from my lips, her eyes grew rounder and her mouth grew wider. In the eight months we had lived together, I had never spoken to her so rudely. That was Brandi’s department. I had always strived to be pleasant. She had enough strikes against her, why make things rougher? But no more. No breaks today. I’d had it.

  With obvious effort, she closed her mouth and gathered her dignity together. “If you’re having that much trouble controlling the situation, maybe you should move out,” she said primly.

  Now it was my turn to gape. “Move out? Move out? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  She looked indignant. “Am not. Look at this place.” She jerked her arms up, fingers twitching sporadically. “Brandi doesn’t feel any safer here than I do. You brought the problem to us, so the right thing is for you to leave.”

  I stalked toward her, getting right into her face. “Right thing? You want to talk about the right thing? We allowed you to move in here. We’re doing you a favor. You never signed a lease. You have some pretty limited rights here!”

  She held her ground, folding her arms in front of her, pinching her lips together. “Two against one. You lose.”

  I snapped my head around to Brandi. She held her hands up, palms out. “Oh no. You’re not dragging me into this.”

  “You already are into this. She,” I pointed to Martha, “dragged you into this. What’s this two against one shit?”

  Brandi backed up. “There is no two against one. I’m not taking sides here.”

  “What?” I couldn’t believe this. Brandi wouldn’t take my side against Martha? Had I fallen into some alternate universe while I slept? What the hell was going on?

  “You two work it through. Leave me out.”

  I stepped toward Brandi. “You want me to move out?”

  Brandi tugged her hands through her hair, avoiding my eyes. “I didn’t say that. I said for you two to work it out. I’m not taking sides.”

  I closed my eyes, pushing my hands against the top of my head. “I don’t believe this. You of all people, Brandi.”

  “You should move out,” Martha piped in again, her voice squeaking on the last word.

  I snapped open my eyes. “Well, it’s not going to happen so you can quit saying it.” I jerked away from the counter and shoved my way past her. “I’m out of here. See you guys later.”

  Martha didn’t try to stop me as I marched down the hall and into my bedroom. Once there, door firmly closed, I realized I had no intention of going anywhere. I could feel coughs gathering in my ever-tightening chest and I cursed myself for my weakness. I didn’t have the energy or the stamina to handle any more crises today. David could spend the day searching for me. All I wanted to do was lie down in my new Fort Knox-style bedroom and sleep. So that’s exactly what I did.

  To my surprise, I fell asleep immediately and slept a dreamless sleep most of the day. I woke in the middle of the afternoon, feeling more refreshed than I had in a long time. Now for some nourishment. I moseyed toward the kitchen and promptly ran into Elena.

  “What the … ” I gasped, jumping back and letting out a little scream.

  Elena had been stretched out on the couch, but now she scrambled to sit up, her copper-colored hair falling over her face. “God, Kit, are you okay? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  I took a deep breath, pressing my hand against my chest. “I’m fine. I just thought I was alone, that’s all.”

  Elena blew her hair out of her eyes. “I guess I should’ve let you know I was here.”

  “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in classes? And how’d you get in?”

  Elena reached over to the coffee table and jingled her key ring. “I kept it, remember? And I don’t have classes Wednesday afternoon, so I thought I’d come over and keep you company.”

  “How did you know I was here?”

  She shrugged. “I didn’t. I heard you weren’t feeling well, so I thought I’d come over and see if you took a sick day.”

  I ran my hand through my hair. How was it that my movements were so easily tracked in a school of forty thousand students? Paranoia rears its ugly head. Nevertheless, deep down, I was glad to see Elena.

  “An occasional sick day never hurts.”

  Elena briskly rose to her feet. “How ‘bout some breakfast? I make a mean omelet.”

  “I think all my eggs are hard boiled.”

  She waved her hands dismissively, bustling past me to the kitchen. “I picked up some non-hard boiled eggs, plus other breakfast goodies.”

  “You didn’t have to do that,” I protested, but I was touched.

  “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

  I followed her into the kitchen and watched her haul food out of the refrigerator. Eggs, bacon, package of hash browns, biscuits, sausage, cheese, butter, onions, tomatoes. “Nothing? That looks like something to me.”

  She pulled a frying pan out of the cupboard. “Everyone needs comfort foods when they’re sick. My mother always made me breakfast foods, even for dinner.”

  She chatted while cookin
g, filling me in on the latest gossip. Light, mindless things. Nothing about Brad or my situation. I sat at the table – she refused to let me help – listening and relaxing. Such a relief.

  After we ate, she chased me into the living room to rest while she cleaned up the kitchen. I had just settled on the couch when I heard a key turning in the lock.

  Great. Brandi or Martha. I didn’t want to see either one of them. A few moments later, Brandi sauntered up the stairs.

  She stood for a moment on the landing, surveying the scene. “Is the mole in the kitchen?”

  I shook my head. “Elena.”

  She nodded, started toward the kitchen, then stopped. She must have seen something in my face. “Oh, come on, Kit.”

  “Come on what?”

  She put a hand on her hip. “Not taking your side does not mean I was against you.”

  “It was the mole, Brandi. You refused to take my side against the mole.”

  “Christ, Kit. Have you considered that maybe I think she has a point?”

  “Oh, so you want me to move out too?”

  “Don’t be absurd. I never said that. I want the same thing you want. I want David to leave you alone. Christ, Kit. Do you think I’ve had a decent night’s sleep since he started pulling this crap? What if he decides to attack me to get to you? Or what if he does break in and attack you? How am I supposed to stop it? Just because you’re the target doesn’t mean you’re the only one suffering here.”

  I slapped my hands against my thighs. “So what do you want me to do about it? Don’t you think I’d stop it if I could?”

  Brandi rolled her eyes. “Is this stupid thing you’ve got going an act or has your IQ dropped in the past week? Of course, I know you’d stop it. Of course, I know you don’t want anyone else to suffer. But Kit, that’s not the point. The point is this has become a real problem. And we have to figure out some way to solve it.”

  I slumped against the couch. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “You asked and I’m telling you. Martha has a reason to be scared. So do I. So do you. That’s where this is coming from. I can see both sides. I know you’re doing everything you can. But that doesn’t change the fact we’re scared.”